


Rise of the Demon Prince

by Foxdemonsrock



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:01:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23266633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foxdemonsrock/pseuds/Foxdemonsrock
Summary: AU- The Black Bulls don't make it to Asta’s Magic Parliament trial in time, and he is found guilty for being the devil who caused all the destruction across the Clover Kingdom. Before the Black Bulls can save Asta from his public execution, a group of mages from the Spade Kingdom crash the execution and take Asta away. The Black Bulls uncover dark secrets and ban together with members of the Golden Dawn in order to bring Asta home. But does Asta really need rescuing?
Comments: 27
Kudos: 100





	1. Judgment Day

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place around manga chapter 218 (the Magic Parliament arc). This AU deviates from cannon from there. The Black Bulls couldn’t crash the trial, and Asta was found guilty. I should be writing my other WIP’s but…ah the plot bunnies cannot be ignored! 
> 
> Possible Trigger Warning: Mentions of torture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU- The Black Bulls don’t make it to Asta’s Magic Parliament trial in time, and he is found guilty for being the devil who caused all the destruction across the Clover Kingdom. Before the Black Bulls can save Asta from his public execution, a group of mages from the Spade Kingdom crash the execution and take Asta away. The Black Bulls uncover dark secrets and ban together with members of the Golden Dawn in order to bring Asta home. But does Asta really need rescuing?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place around manga chapter 218 (the Magic Parliament arc). This AU deviates from cannon from there. The Black Bulls couldn’t crash the trial, and Asta was found guilty. I should be writing my other WIP’s but…ah the plot bunnies cannot be ignored! 
> 
> Possible Trigger Warning: Mentions of torture
> 
> Also! I have no Beta. Let me know if you would be interested!

“You are evil. Therefore, you are found guilty of treason.” The Chairman of the Magic Parliament, Damnatio Kira, announces. A hush falls among the members of Parliament. Marie gasps in horror in Asta’s arms, her eyes brimming with tears. Asta stiffens, glowering at the crowd. “Now, as for the horned girl.” Damnatio starts, only for the ash blonde boy to cut him off. 

“Wait! Just stop! Leave her out of it. I won’t struggle or try to escape. Just let her go.” Asta pleads, dropping his Black form, and lowers his sword. Damnatio eyes him before glancing at his scales again. 

“Very well. She is insignificant.” The Chairman agrees. 

“Asta, no! You can’t!” Nero shouts, straining against her handcuffs. Asta smiles at her weakly, handing his grimoire over to one of the nearby guards. 

“It’s alright, Nero. This way, the Magic Knights’ reputation is clear.” Asta states, wincing as another guard snaps a pair of handcuffs on him roughly. 

“You saved everyone!” Marie shouts, trying to escape from the guard that had started to drag her away. “This isn’t fair! Asta!! No!” She screams, tears streaming down her cheeks. 

“I’ll be fine, Marie. Don’t worry! I’m not giving up yet! I’ll think of something!” Asta calls out to her as the guards drag him towards the dungeons. A guard approaches Nero unlocks her handcuffs and drags her out of the hall. She glares up at the man, snatching her arm away from him, and storms out of the building. She would find a way to save the blond idiot if it was the last thing she did. 

* * *

Asta grumbles as the guard shoves him into the cell before slamming the heavy metal door shut behind him. The ash blond sighs, looking around the small, dirty cell. He was sure his friends would find a way to bust him out. Before he could walk further into the room, the door swings open again. His eyes widen, seeing a familiar woman with black hair and red eyes grinning at him wickedly. 

“C-Creepy Lady?” Asta asks, taking a step away from her. “I thought they still had you on clean-up duty?” Sally just grins, taking another step towards the boy. 

“The Magic Parliament people said I could have fun with you! I can’t wait to run all of my experiments!” She giggles as two guards step into the room and grab the teen. 

“W-Wait! Why would they let you do whatever you want?” Sally shrugs as the two guards start to drag the struggling blond out of the room. 

“I think they want to know what makes you tick, just like me! It’s all for science, you see!” She cackles, following them down the hall. 

* * *

Several hours later, the guards haul an unconscious Asta back into the cell. They toss him back inside unceremoniously, before slamming the door shut once again. Asta stirs, having landed on his stomach, and winces as he tries to roll onto his side. He cries out in agony, falling back down. The teen glances over at his wrist and frowns, seeing an unfamiliar black seal branded into his wrists. Asta vaguely remembers them mentioning something about forbidden magic. The ash blond sighs, letting his eyes close. He would try to move again later. He just needed to rest his eyes for a moment.

* * *

Damnatio glances up at the members of Magic Parliament, lowering his scale. “The boy has been judged to be evil. In order to ensure the safety of this kingdom, he should be executed. If we delay the proceedings, the Black Bulls will surely interfere.” The Chairman finishes. The Parliament members mutter among themselves briefly, before confirming their agreement. “Very well. We will not release the details on the boy’s sentence to the public. The execution will be expedited to tomorrow. We will inform the citizens that tomorrow there will be a public announcement, and have messengers run interference with the Black Bulls.” The members agree again, with less deliberation this time. Damnatio nods to the council, adjourning the meeting. He had much work to do in very little time. He had to ensure the Wizard King didn’t interfere either. The man seemed to have a soft spot for the devil. 

* * *

That night, Nero bursts through the front door of the Black Bulls hideout, looking around frantically for Captain Yami. It took her longer than she anticipated to get back to the hideout. Noelle frowns, hopping up from the sofa in the common area to approach her. 

“Nero? What’s going on? Where’s Asta?” Nero looks up at Noelle, clearly distressed. 

“They took him. Magic Parliament is using Asta as a scapegoat for the elves!” Noelle gasps, taking a step back. 

“What? But he saved everyone!” 

“I know. Where’s Yami?” Nero asks, looking around the seemingly empty room again. Yami suddenly walks into the room, rubbing the back of his head. 

“It’s the middle of the damn night. What’s with all the damn noise?” The captain growls, glaring at the two females. 

“Magic Parliament arrested Asta! They’re blaming him for everything!” Noelle shouts anxiously. Yami frowns, his eyes narrowing dangerously. 

“Those bastards move quick. Looks like Julius was right.” Yami grumbles, crossing his arms. “Alright, assholes!” The captain shouts. “Everyone down here now, or you’re dead! We have a dumbass to save!” 

* * *

The next morning, the Black Bulls growl in frustration, having literally crashed into yet another empty cell. They spent all night breaking into the Magic Parliament building, then fighting their way down to the dungeons, only to find all of them empty. Yami punches the nearest wall in frustration. The bastards must have moved Asta, knowing that the Black Bulls would come for him. 

“Those bastards!” Magna hisses, balling a fist. “The kid _saved_ everyone and they’re punishing him for it! It doesn’t make any sense!” 

“They needed someone to blame, and they don’t understand his power.” Nero states, glaring around the empty cell. “People fear what they don’t understand.” They pause, suddenly hearing a commotion outside. The Black Bulls run to the source, and freeze, seeing a large crowd gathered in the city square. Up on the stage, there was Damnatio Kira along with a few other members of the Magic Parliament. They try to get closer but are too far away to see the stage properly. There were too many people for them to get any closer. 

* * *

“Citizens of the Clover Kingdom.” Damnatio announces, using magic to amplify his voice. “We have gathered you here today in order to enact justice. We have identified the individual responsible for the recent attack on the kingdom. He is a devil. An evil creature whose only goal is to cause despair and destruction.” The crowd gasps in shock as Damnatio gestures to one of the guards. The man hauls a boy with ash blond hair and tattered clothes up onto the stage. His hands and feet were magically bound. The boy lets out a pained grunt as the guard tosses him onto the stage by Damnatio’s feet. “Asta is found guilty of treason and hereby sentenced to death.” The chairman states, hauling Asta up to his knees by his shirt. Asta cries out in pain, trying to flinch away only to be held still by the magic restraints. “Do you have any last words, traitor?” Asta peels his eyes open and glances out to the crowd. He frowns, seeing what appears to be a mass of black robes near the very back of the crowd. The teen keeps eye contact with the tallest shadow of the group, assuming it was Yami. 

“I’m sorry.” The teen whispers before his eyes flutter closed in exhaustion. Damnatio raises his scale, ready to enact his form of justice. Suddenly, explosions shudder through the area, coming from all different directions. Several were coming from the back of the crowd, where the Black Bulls were now attacking guards that were trying to hold them back. There were also suddenly 3 cloaked figures on the stage. One figure blasts Damnatio and the other members of Magic Parliament back, and another breaks Asta’s magic restraints, then levitates him with pink magic. The third holds off the guards that were trying to attack the intruders with a barrier. The first figure steps forward, casting a quick spell to amplify their voice. 

“People of the Cover Kingdom. You should be ashamed.” The male voice seethes. “This is how you treat your savior? This boy saved your entire kingdom, and you repay him with death?” There are a few gasps from the crowd as a few Magic Knights start to approach the stage. 

“This boy is the _cause_ of all of the destruction!” Damnatio growls, getting to his feet. 

“What proof do you have?” The cloaked figure asks, gesturing widely. “Your _scale_? Did you actually see this boy destroy your cities?” They ask, turning their head towards the chairman. 

“No, but the scale-”

“How can you cast blame with no witness testimony? Is that what this kingdom has come to? Royalty biasedly blaming peasants for their problems?” The members of the crowd pause, looking between Damnatio and the figure. “We believe in fair trials in the Spade Kingdom.” They cast mutter a spell, waving a hand at Asta. The memories of the fight with the devil appear above him, playing out on multiple projections like a movie. The crowd gasps in shock, watching Asta deal the finishing blow on the devil. “The Spade Kingdom Royal Task Force will claim your champion, since you only aim to kill him.” A tornado of wind hurdles towards the stage, but the three disappear with Asta in an explosion of smoke before it hits. Yuno disperses the attack before it crashes into the stage and lands where the cloaked figures just were. 

“Asta!!” 

* * *

Yami punches another guard in the face, tying to advance on the stage. His heart drops, seeing Asta disappear. Before he could react, a hand lands on his shoulder. He pauses, sensing the familiar Ki. “Julius. Give me one good reason not to go after those bastards.” He growls, looking over at the teenaged Wizard King. 

“I will, but not here. Meet me in my office.” With that, he disappears into the crowd. 

“Cryptic bastard.” He grumbles, facing the rest of his squad, who was still pummelling the guards. “Oi! Hold off beating their ass for now. Finral; get everyone back to the hideout. I have to meet with the Wizard King.” 

“What about Asta?” Noelle asks, sending another guard flying with a blast of water. 

“We’re going to save his ass, obviously. I just have to Julius first.” With that he leaves, seeing Finral activate his spatial magic out of the corner of his eye. Julius better have a good excuse for delaying him. He nearly lost it when he saw how beat up the kid was. Then to hear him apologize on top of everything? Yami wanted to burn the Magic Parliament to the ground.

* * *

“What the hell is this asshat doing here?!” Yami rages, glaring at Damnatio, who was already in the Wizard King’s office. Julius sighs, standing from his chair, and holds up a placating hand to the Black Bulls Captain. 

“He needs to hear this as well. This situation needs to be handled delicately. The Spade Kingdom had every right to take Asta.” Julius states, walking around his desk the lean against the front of it. 

“The hell are you going on about?” Yami states, walking further into the room, but keeps his distance from the Magic Parliament chairman. He didn’t trust himself not to punch the man. Yami takes out a cigarette, lighting it to keep his hands occupied.

“Sixteen years ago, the Clover Kingdom stole something precious to the Spade Kingdom to fulfill a prophecy for our kingdom. The Spade Kingdom was unable to enter the Cover Kingdom due to the barrier around the kingdom that I maintain. The Spade Kingdom Knight Captain, who is their country’s equivalent to Wizard King, informed me of this many years ago. I was not willing to lower the barrier, for the protection of our citizens, but I agreed to search for their stolen treasure. I believed that I had located the treasure recently, but I was unable to contact the Spade Kingdom due to the terrorist attacks of the Eye of the Midnight Sun.” Julius looks significantly at Damnatio. “They were able to enter the kingdom due to my temporary ‘death’. Now, they show up to retrieve their treasure, only for us to nearly destroy it.” Yami and Damnatio’s eyes widen. 

“Asta was their ‘treasure’.” Yami mutters, taking a drag of his cigarette. “And this asshole may have just started a war.” He gestures to the chairman, who pales. 

“H-How? He was a peasant! A devil!” Damnatio stutters, taking a step back. 

“He is important to the Spade Kingdom. This is why I tried to stop you during the trial that you hid from me.” Julius sighs, running a tired hand over his face. “At this point, it would be best to send a small team as emissaries to prevent any conflict. I suggest a few members of the Black Bulls, a member of Magic Parliament to handle the actual negations, and Yuno and his team from the Golden Dawn. Klaus can be team leader.” 

“Why the Black Bulls?” Damnatio states in disgust. “Those scoundrels will only cause more of an incident.” 

“Because Asta trusts the Black Bulls. The Clover Kingdom is on thin ice with the Spade Kingdom right now. If there are people that Asta trusts in the envoy, they are more likely to gain an audience with the Spade Kingdom monarchy. I suggested Yuno too because he is Asta’s childhood friend. His team will be helpful. That far away from the kingdom, it will be best to have a healer. Klaus has also already proved himself to be an effective leader.” Julius shrugs. “Besides, the Black Bulls and Yuno would find a way to go anyway.” Yami chuckles. 

“Got that right. No way we would abandon a member of our squad.” 

“Yami, I will leave it up to you on which members will be going. I will send message to the Golden Dawns.” Julius glances over at Damnatio. “Pick a member of Magic Parliament that has the most political negotiating experience. I have a feeling that we will need it.” The Wizard King walks back behind his desk. “The team will leave first thing tomorrow.” 

“We can’t leave sooner?” Yami asks, already getting a headache from the impending argument from his squad. 

“Yes. It will take time to get everything prepared.” Julius smiles up at Yami. “Don’t worry, Yami. They will not harm Asta. If anything, they will probably heal him.” He shoots a dark look over at Damnatio, who looks away. “Go inform your teams.” Julius waves them off, starting to write on a piece of parchment. The two men nod, leaving the room. 

“I’m still kicking your ass later.” Yami growls at Damnatio darkly before storming off. He was not looking forward to the conversation he was going to have with his team. They could be so damn loud. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was thinking about making this a Gen fic, but I haven't decided. Let me know if you would rather have ships in here!


	2. Meetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day? Thank the quarantine! This social distancing has been rough, but at least I’ve been more motivated to write!

The first thing Asta is aware of is that he’s warm and laying on something soft. Not softer than Charmy’s cotton magic, nothing was softer than that. But this was still soft! Was he dead? The last thing he remembered was that scale guy muttering something about last words and justice. That man seemed overly obsessed with justice. He takes a deep breath, deciding it was now or never. May as well see where he was. 

The ash blond cracks his eyes open and they immediately widen, taking in his surroundings. He was laying down in a large bed, with soft, rich looking red linens. The room itself was massive, and lavish. It reminded him of the room he stayed in the night before the Royal Knights launched their attack on the Eye of the Midnight Sun’s hideout. There was gold trim everywhere with marble looking floors. Where the heck was he? 

Asta tries to sit up, but cries out in agony, flopping back down onto the fluffy mattress. He almost forgot. Sally placed a seal on him with forbidden magic in order to prevent him from moving too much during her ‘experiments’. The seal would cause him agonizing pain any time he would voluntarily move. 

A man walks into the room and gasps softly, seeing the teen awake. He was average height, had mousy brown hair and blue eyes. The man appeared to be in his early fifties and was wearing a tailored black suit. To Asta, he looked like one of the butlers he had seen running around the Royal Palace. 

“So good to see you awake, Young Master Asta.” The man states, approaching the teen with a glass of water. Asta stares up at him incredulously. He wasn’t a ‘master’ of anything!

“Um. Thanks? Where am I?” Asta asks, trying to sit up again. Apparently, he kept forgetting about the seal on his body. The boy cries out again, his arms giving out. The man catches him easily, having set the glass down on a nearby table. He helps Asta sit up and props him up with pillows. 

“Please try not to move yet, Young Master. The Mistress will be so relieved that you are awake.” The man helps Asta drink the water without spilling it. Asta looks away, embarrassed that he couldn’t even hold a glass himself. He felt so weak! “I will go and inform her of your status.” Before Asta could ask any questions, the man quickly walks out of the room to get the so-called ‘Mistress’.

Thankfully he didn’t have to wait very long. The door to the room suddenly bursts open and a woman rushes into the room. She was wearing a floor length royal blue dress with golden spade shaped accents along the bodice. The dress had white lace trim and looked rather expensive. Asta eyes the woman curiously, his eyes widening upon seeing her face. She appeared to be in her mid-forties, with long, wavy, ash blond hair that reached her mid-back, and stunning green eyes. The exact same shade as his eyes. She rushes over to him, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. 

“M-....Mom?” He asks, his voice cracking, as he stares up at her in wonder. She nods, gently taking his hand. 

“I’ve waited a very long time to see you again.” She states shakily, sitting on the edge of his bed. His eyes fill with tears as he squeezes her hand, ignoring that pain that shoots through his body. 

“I….I thought you didn’t want me.” He whispers, squeezing his eyes shut to try to ebb the tears. She lets out an unsteady breath and pulls him into a hug. 

“I always wanted you, my sweet boy. You were stolen from me after I only got to spend 6 months with you. I will never forgive them for taking you away from me.” She hisses the last part under her breath, feeling the teen tremble in her arms. Asta slowly brings his arms up, yet again ignoring the pain that radiates through his body from the movements, and clutches desperately at the back of her dress, burying his face into her neck. “Asta, wait. Don’t move. You’re hurt.” He ignores her, letting out a sob. 

“ _M-Mom.”_ He chokes, gripping her tighter as he breaks down into painful sobs. She pulls him closer as well, letting herself cry, relieved to finally have her child back in her arms. The pair don’t notice the attendant from earlier leaving a cart of snacks and tea nearby before slipping back out of the room to give them some privacy. 

After what seems like hours, their tears finally dry. The woman leans back, wiping her eyes. She smiles softly, seeing the cart of snacks nearby. Asa leans back as well, wincing in pain. He is about to wipe his eyes, when she gently takes his hand, stopping his movements. She wipes his eyes for him before helping him lean back against the propped-up pillows. 

“Please try not to move. I don’t want you to hurt yourself further.” She glowers down at his branded wrists before turning to the cart of snacks. “You must be hungry. Oh! And my name is Amelia. I suppose I should have led with that.” She smiles at him over her shoulder warmly as she stacks some pastries on a small plate. Amelia faces him again, holding a pastry up to Asta, who sighs, taking a bite. This was going to get very old if he couldn’t even feed himself. “I can remove the forbidden magic seals.” She states as he nearly chokes on the bite he just took. She apologizes under her breath, holding up some water to his lips. He takes a big gulp, swallowing the mouthful with a grimace. 

“You can?” He asks hopefully. She nods, setting the glass down. 

“Yes, but it will not be pleasant. And there will be a price. There is always a price when forbidden magic is involved.” He raises an eyebrow. 

“What kind of price? It’s not going to steal my soul or anything, is it?” She chuckles, shaking her head. 

“Nothing like that. I’m not entirely sure what the price will be. It varies.” Amelia sighs, tucking her hair behind her ear. “My magic is not like the Queen of Witches. I’ve heard you had some dealings with her.” Asta shudders at the memories of the Queen.

“Yeah. Though I would prefer not to deal with her again, for a while at least. She was scary!” Amelia nods in agreement, holding up another piece of pastry for him to take another bite. After he swallows without incident this time, he glances around the room curiously again. 

“Where are we?” She raises an eyebrow, before suddenly remembering that she never mentioned it. 

“We’re in the Spade Kingdom. I suppose I should explain things.” She sighs, settling herself more comfortably next to the teen. “You were stolen from our kingdom as a baby by the Clover Kingdom. Apparently, you were supposed to fulfill some prophecy for them by defeating a dark evil or something. We tried to retrieve you immediately, but the barrier around the Clover Kingdom made it impossible for us to follow. We tried for many years before reaching out to the Wizard King.” She explains, giving Asta another bite of food. “He agreed to try to locate you, but it’s a large kingdom and no one had any idea where to look. Recently, he wrote and informed me that he may have located you, but then we lost contact. We received word about all of those terrorist attacks on the Clover Kingdom, and I feared the worst.” She gives Asta a sip of tea before continuing, smiling softly at his intent expression. “We dispatched a team to the border to investigate. When the barrier fell, we knew something was wrong. The team was able to locate you in the Royal Capital and rescue you before they could proceed with that absurd execution.” He winces slightly at the memory. 

“Well, thank you! Though my friends are probably worried about me.” She frowns slightly. 

“If you go back, they will try to kill you again. They decided to have you take the fall for the terrorist attacks.” Asta’s eyebrows knit in frustration, then decides to change the subject. He was not in the mood to think too hard.

“What’s my father like?” He asks excitedly, grinning up at Amelia. She smiles warmly, chuckling.

“He is very strong and determined. He doesn’t let anything stand in the way of his goals. People think he is cold, but I know he has a big heart.” 

“Is he here?” Her smile falters. 

“Not at the moment. He’s traveling for the kingdom.” She pats his hand before rising to her feet. “I should let you rest. We will perform the ritual to remove the forbidden magic seals tomorrow.” Asta pouts, glancing down at the brands on his wrists. 

“Why can’t we just do it now?” 

“Your body is exhausted right now. If we try and you don’t have enough stamina.” Her face falls. “You may not survive.” He pales. Just what kind of ritual did they have to do?

“Alight. Tomorrow it is.” Asta glances back up at his mother cautiously. “Will you come back later?” Amelia’s face lights up. 

“Of course! I have some duties to attend to, but I will return once I’m finished.” He grins, nodding, only to wince at the movement. He couldn’t wait until the darn seals were removed and he could move again. 

* * *

Yami growls in annoyance as the Black Bulls start to yell in protest after he had told them they weren’t leaving until tomorrow.

“I said SHUT UP!” He slams a fist into the nearest wall, crumbling it from the force. The Magic Knights quiet for the moment. “Finral, Noelle, and Nero. You three will meet up with the Golden Dawn brats and someone from Magic Parliament tomorrow morning to depart. I think the Wizard King is having that chubby fro guy use his spatial magic to get you all to the border, since Finral has never been.” Yami mutters, taking a drag from his cigarette. “And stop bitching. Julius assured me that the Spade Kingdom isn’t going to hurt the twerp.” He glares up at his squad threateningly. “Failure is not an option. I’ll kill you.” With that, he leaves the room, ignoring the indignant shouts. He rubs his temples in annoyance. He knew this was going to give him a headache. 

* * *

The next morning, Finral, Noelle, and Nero meet up with Yuno, Mimiso, and Klaus in front of the Magic Knights Headquarters. Cob Portaport was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs along with Marx. The Wizard King’s adviser nods at the group, eyeing them. 

“Looks like we are waiting for one more.” Marx states. The group glances over, seeing another man approaching. He appeared to be in his late thirties, with neatly styled short black hair and brown eyes. The man nods at the adviser. 

“I am Charles. Lord Damnatio sent me as the Clover Kingdom’s emissary.” The man states, tucking his hands behind his back primly. Finral and Noelle roll their eyes. This was going to be a long journey if they had to deal with this royal stick-in-the-mud. 

“Ah, yes. The Wizard King informed me” Marx turns to face the rest of the group. “Cob will be able to use his spatial magic to get you all to the Clover Kingdom’s border and the beginning of the Neutral Zone. You will have to proceed to the Spade Kingdom from there. Klaus will be acting as team leader. Your mission is to gain an audience with the Spade Kingdom monarchy and ease any tensions we may have caused. You may also negotiate the return of the Black Bulls Magic Knight, Asta. The Spade Kingdom may be hostile towards us, so do not cause any incidents. Go forth and make your kingdom proud!” Marx announces as Cob opens a portal beside him. The Magic Knights salute before walking through the portal. Marx sighs heavily as the portal closes behind the knights and emissary. He just hoped Julius knew what he was doing sending the Black Bulls on a diplomatic mission. 

* * *

Asta takes a steadying breath looking around the room as the attendant from yesterday draws symbols in chalk on the dark floor. They were in a different room from yesterday. It was devoid of furniture, and had dark granite looking floors instead of the marble in the other room. The ash blond was sitting in a chair in the center of the room while Amelia and the attendant finished preparations for the ritual to remove the forbidden seals on his wrists. Amelia lights the final candle and takes a step back, eyeing their work. She nods to herself, seemingly satisfied, before kneeling in front of Asta, taking his hand. 

“Are you sure about this? It’s going to be very painful. I won’t be able to stop the ritual once it’s begun.” Amelia states, locking eyes with her son. Asta nods, wincing slightly, but his eyes determined. 

“Yes. I’m sick of not being able to move; sick of feeling weak. I’ll pay whatever price I have to.” He announces, squeezing her hand. She nods, rising to her feet. 

“Alright. Marco.” She states, glancing over to her attendant. “Let’s begin.” Ameila starts to chant with Marco. Asta’s eyes widen, seeing the flames on the candles grow and turn a deep purple. He gaps, feeling as though the flames were licking his skin. The flames suddenly explode, engulfing him in inky blackness. He cries out in pain. It felt like his entire body was on fire. Like a direct hit from Salamander’s Breath. He tries to clamp his mouth shut, but the temperature only climbs, making him feel like he was being burnt alive. His breath catches, sensing another presence in front of him. He swears he sees red glowing eyes in the blackness before the pain becomes unbearable. The last thing he remembers is the agony and his own screams before the darkness completely overtakes him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all are liking this so far! Keep in mind, this is an AU, so everything diverges from cannon after the trial :P Let me know what you think! The kudos, favorites, and reviews make my day!


	3. Discoveries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back with another chapter! Thank you all so much for the kudos and feedback! Reviews give me LIFE! I’m going to try to write ahead, so that I don’t fall behind again!

Pain. A scalpel tearing into flesh. Fire everywhere. The heat was unbearable. Something was holding him down. He fights against it, but the darkness keeps pulling him down, deeper into the blackness. 

Asta gasps awake, fighting against the weight holding him down. He cries out unable to break free. The ash blond vaguely hears someone calling his name, but he was still tied up. Were they going to do more experiments? He didn’t think he could take any more. He feels himself being pulled into a sitting position and being pulled into a warm embrace. Was someone hugging him? He blinks, his eyes finally focusing on the room around him. Oh. This was the same room he woke up in earlier. How long had he been out for? He finally registers that someone is indeed hugging him, and his legs were tangled in the sheets. Asta’s breath catches, feeling fingers carding through his hair comfortingly. He inhales shakily, focusing on slowing his breathing, trying to match the breaths of the person holding him. After several moments, he pulls back from the embrace slightly, and grins, seeing Amelia looking him over worriedly. She gently wipes the tears from his cheeks with her thumbs. He hadn’t realized that he was crying. 

“Are you alright?” She asks, reaching over to the side table and handing him a glass of water. He nods, reaching out to take the glass without even looking. 

“How long was I out for?” Asta asks after chugging half the glass. Amelia sits on the chair that was pulled up next to the bed. 

“About a day.” She answers. He frowns, nodding slowly before pausing. He just moved several times without any pain! The ritual must have worked! He grins, about to cry out in victory when he freezes, seeing his right hand. Asta nearly drops the glass he was holding, but Amelia skillfully catches it and places it back on the table. Asta holds his hand up to his face for closer inspection, his eyes widening in shock. 

His right hand was now pitch black, the darkness creeping up to his mid-forearm before fading back to his pale skin tone. He looks up at her questioningly and she meets his eyes solemnly, handing him a small mirror. The blond's breath catches, seeing the changes. Asta’s right eye was now ruby red with a slit pupil, much like it was in his Black form. He also has a black curled horn on the top right of his head, again mirroring his Black form. He opens his mouth, and yelps, seeing the fangs he usually gets on the right side now on both.

“W-What?” He drops the mirror, looking up at Amelia in confusion. She inhales shakily before meeting his gaze.

“This was the price. It brought out your true nature.” He balks, flinching back.

“What? True nature?” Amelia nods, smoothing out her dress anxiously.

“I suppose I should start at the beginning. The Spade and Diamond Kingdoms have been trying to enhance their armies for generations. Both kingdoms have different approaches to create more powerful mages. The Diamond Kingdom experimented on their citizens. The Spade Kingdom decided to use Magic Marriages.” Asta frowns in confusion.

“Magic Marriages?”

“Yes. I believe the nobles of the Clover Kingdom still practice this today. It is when the rich and powerful marry others with powerful magic that compliments their own to create even stronger heirs. In the Spade Kingdom, they took it a step further. They married into different races in order to create hybrids. This, of course, does not always work. Their goal was to create mages with multiple attributes. Sometimes, however, it would cause a mutation, and the child would have no magic at all. That is why it is not uncommon for people to have no magic in this kingdom.” His eyes widen in shock.

“Your father is from a powerful family.” She continues. “They ‘purchased’ me from the Forest of Witches. I wanted out at the time and did not want to become a fugitive of the Witch Queen, so I went along with it.” He frowns.

“Okay, but that doesn’t explain why you said this is my ‘true nature’ or something.” She shifts in her chair uncomfortably.

“There’s no easy way to say this.” She sighs meeting his gaze. “Your father is a demon.” He gasps, his eyes widening in horror.

“No! I’m nothing like that weird laughing bastard! I’m _not!_ ” He growls, clenching a fist. Asta hisses, his claws having dug into his palm. Amelia grabs a cloth napkin from the table, and takes his hand gently, dabbing the blood from it with the napkin. “He killed so many people. Used them for his own gain, then tossed them aside like they were _nothing_.”

“You’re nothing like him. Not all demons are evil, Asta. The one who tried to destroy the Clover Kingdom clearly was. Your father is not. The royal families in the Spade Kingdom are typically demonic.” She states as he looks up at her in shock. “Demonic magic and witches’ magic are not compatible. This is why you weren’t born with inherent magical abilities. This anti-magic, however, _is_ your magic. We can teach you how to use it as an extension of your body instead of only relying on your swords.” He exhales shakily as she finishes cleaning his hand.

“It’s just hard to believe.” Asta looks away, biting his lip. He immediately regrets it, feeling his fangs dig into his lip, causing it to bleed. He curses under his breath, as she hands him another napkin to hold to his lip.

“I understand. Just know that your blood doesn’t define who you are.” He looks up at her, his eyes watering. She nods, smiling warmly before gesturing to a cart that was next to her. He hadn’t even noticed it before. “Why don’t you eat something, and we’ll talk later. I will fetch someone who can begin your training, if you wish?” Asta nods, his eyes filled with determination.

“I have to get stronger. I can’t let Yuno beat me!” She chuckles, rising from her seat, and pushes the cart closer to the bed. Amelia exits the room, smiling softly hearing him cheer about the amount of food on the cart.

* * *

Noelle glares over at the man next to her in the steel chariot Klaus created. She flips a ponytail over her shoulder and huffs in annoyance. Royalty shouldn’t have to sit next to anyone. Least of all someone from the Magic Parliament. They were the ones responsible for this whole mess in the first place.

“Are you certain this is the best way to travel?” Noelle asks Klaus incredulously.

“Flying is the fastest way to travel. It will take twice as long if we travel through the Neutral Zone on foot.” Klaus answers, causing Noelle to sigh heavily. Nero, who had transformed into a bird, lands on her head, snuggling in. She pouts, crossing his arms. This was going to be a long ride. She refused to make conversation with the Magic Parliament mage. She had already forgotten his name.

“Incoming!” Finral shouts, creating a portal to intercept a boulder that was headed straight for the chariot. Yuno instantly takes off in the direction the projectile originated. He creates a tornado, causing a giant purple troll-like creature to fly into the air, before being slammed to the ground.

“We’re sitting ducks up here.” Finral mutters, creating several portals to intercept more boulders. Apparently, the troll had friends.

“Yuno! We’re heading down! We’re too out in the open up here.” Klaus calls out, seeing Yuno head towards the other trolls. “Leave them.” The senior Golden Dawn Knight steers the chariot down into the forest, followed by Mimosa and Finral. Yuno sends one last powerful burst of wind towards the trolls before following after them. Once they were all safely on the ground, Klaus releases the chariot spell, glancing around to make sure everyone was accounted for. “It appears we will have to proceed on foot.” Klaus states, pushing up his glasses.

“You cannot expect a noble to trudge through the forest like some commoner.” Charles sniffs, glaring over at Klaus. Noelle’s eye twitches in annoyance.

“If you want to get blown out of the sky, be my guest. Just don’t come crying to us to save you.” Finral mutters, crossing his arms. Charles sputters, glaring over at Finral.

“The insolence!”

“Charles.” Klaus interjects, stepping between the two. “The majority of this party consists of nobles and royalty. I can assure you, that we are willing to walk if that is the safest route. Social class has no place here.” With that, Klaus begins walking. Noelle and Mimosa smirk before following him. Finral nods, shooting one last glare at Charles before leaving as well. Yuno just huffs, following them.

“Don’t just leave me behind!” Charles squawks, rushing to follow the group. Klaus pinches the bridge of his nose. This was going to be a long journey.

**Author's Note:**

> I was thinking about making this a Gen fic, but I haven't decided. Let me know if you would rather have ships in here!


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